Nut-lock bar



C. D. DICKERSON NUT LOCK BAR Filed-May 10' 2 mcnrox C. 0 D/C/(L'ESON.

Patented Feb. 3, 1925.

unrr

rennet CLAUD ZD. DICKERSON, O'F BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA.

NUT-LOCK BAR.

Application filed May 10,

To all "whom it may concern.

Be .it known that I, GLAUD D. DIGKERSON, a. citizen of the United States of America, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Nut-Lock Bars, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in nut locks of the type especially adapted for application to the splice bars or fish plates of rail oints to prevent the loosening of the nuts on the rail connecting bolts The object of my invention is to design a nut lock bar which can be readily attached to and detached from the standard splice bars and, when in operating position, will stand between the bottom faces of the nuts and the base flange of the splice bar so as to positively prevent any rotation of the nuts which would permit them to work loose or to be removed without first removing the lock bar.

More particularly my invention contemplates the utilization of a lock bar having its ends bent for ready attachment to and detachment from the ends of the splice bars and which is preferably of such cross-section that in operating position it is wedged between the bottom faces of the nuts and the base flange of the splice bar, thus not only preventing the loosening of the nuts by forming an additional support for them.

It is a special advantage of my invention that the lock bar can be very cheaply manufactured, can be applied by unskilled lab-or, requires no change in any present standard track joint equipment, and can be readily adjusted on the job for any inequalities in the run of the splice bars or to overcome bending or distortion of the bar itself. When once applied my lock bar can be released only by the wedging action of a releasing tool interposedl between it and the outer face of the splice bar or the rail, which tool will readily snap it loose from its connection to the splice bar when it can be removed, thereby releasing all of the nuts on that side of the rail joint.

My invention contemplates taking advantage of that channel or groove left on the inside vertical face of the splice bar to receive the interlocking ends of the lock bars,

My invention also comprises the novel de-.

tai s of c n tructi n and arrang ments of 1922. Serial No. 638,074.

parts, which in their preferred embodiment only are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described in detail in the following specification.

According to the drawings Fig.1 is a side elevation of a typical rail jpint equipped with my improved nut lock Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the joint showing the rail in cross-section.

Fig. 3 is a detail View of the lock bar. 7

Similar reference numerals refer. to simi lar parts throughout the'drawings.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated, show standard track rails 1, 1, which are connected at their joint by standard splice bars 2, 2, which areconnected through the rails by bolts 3 and nuts 4, all

of the parts as thus far described being of any ordinary standard design and requiring no modification for the application and use with them of my invention.

The drawings show the present standard arrangement with half of the nuts disposed on one side of the joint and the other half on the other side of the joint. For this reason I utilize two lock bars, but obviously, if all of the nuts were placed on the same side of the joint, only a single lock bar would be required.

As illustrated, I show my improved nut lock means formed by a bar 5, which in cross section is but slightly less than the space between the lower horizontal face of the nuts with which it is to co-act and the base flange 6 of the splice bar. When fitted into this space between the splice bar flange and the nuts, the lock bar prevents the turning of the nuts and if it is shaped to fit snugly into this space it will brace and support the nuts in their operation position. lock bar at one end is bent at right angles and then inwardly to form a hook or engaging member 7 for one end of the splice bar, the inturne'd end 8 of the hook being of such size as to be received freely into the space left between the web 9 of the rail and the inner grooved face of thesplice bar. The other end of the lock bar is provided with an end 10 bent at right angles in the same plane and direction as the hook 7 and provided at its free end with an inturned latch lip 11 and with an outwardly bevelled end face 12. The space between the ends of the lock bar corresponds to the standard length The of the splice bar and hence when the hook end 7 is engaged over one end of the splice bar and the lock bar is drawn in under the nuts, being slightly bowed down to assume this position, the other latch end will have its bevelled face engaging the other end of the splice bar and it can be driven inwardly so as to snap into interlocked relation with that end of the splice bar. When it is thus sprung into position it will not rattle, shake or work loose, though by interposing a wedge tool between the splice bar or rail and the latch end of the lock bar, the latch end can be sprung out of engagement with the splice bar and then the lock bar can be readily removed. The lock bar is of such material that it will spring back to position after it is applied or released.

Obviously, the length of the lock bar will be varied according to the splice bars with which it is tobe used and its cross section can be modified to conform to the clearance between the base flange of the splice bar and the nuts. The locking ends of the lock bar can be modified to fit into the space provided between the grooved inner face ofthe splice bar and the web of the rail. In using the-term lock bar I intendthe same to include any metallic element which can be applied in the manner described and when applied will prevent the rotation of the nuts engaged by it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A nut look formed by a lock bar having a straight body portion shaped to fit between the splice bar base and the securing nuts and having one end bent to hook over one end of a standard splice bar where its thickness is reduced, said lock bar having its other end shaped to form a spring catch provided with a bevelled end to permit it to be driven into interlocked relation with the other splice bar end of said standard splice bar where its thickness is reduced.

2. In combination, a standard splice bar longitudinally grooved along the middle portion of its rail engaging face, andhaving apertures to receive its fastening bolts, a nut lock for such bolts comprising a lock bar having a straight body portion adapted to be disposed between the under faces of the nuts and the base of a splice bar and having hook ends disposed and adapted to interlock detachably with the splice bar ends where reduced in thickness, one hook end being shorter than the other to furnish the detachable engaging element and having a wedge face by which it is sprung into interlocking engagement with the splice bar.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

CLAUD D. DIGKERSON. Witness:

NOMIE WELSH. 

